Naruto - Beast of Ecruteak
Thank you for so much support on this story, it really does mean a lot to us. Anyway, the main writer for this is someone by the name of 'The Beast of The Cursed Mask', so please do send some support and appreciation to them. Anyways, there is one final adjustment to the Harem, because you guys have wanted it, we shall add Ho-Oh to the pairing as well.
Anyway, that is enough of that! Please do enjoy the third chapter!
Chapter 3 - An Oath To Keep
In the air high above the tower was Ho-oh, watching the last moments of her most faithful follower, his last request at the front of her mind. She had to find the four that he wished for her to protect. Using the medallion that he gave her, she began to try and track the aura that once surrounded the small heirloom.
She was surprised to find that the source was still in the tower. With that revelation fresh in her mind, she immediately circled the old tower once more. Her eyes focused on the remains of her home and she took a moment to observe the remains.
The once grand roof that she had stood upon was nothing but charred rubble and broken tiles. The ornate sculptures that lined the four corners of the roof had become disfigured, or had fallen into the flames that brought upon this state. The bright blue tiles that lined the roof were cracked and scattered across the space and the rafters that once held them were exposed.
The sturdy wood had managed to survive the flame, but the coming storms would soon break off the remains. The gold lining that covered the center of the roof had been the only thing left untouched by the flame. Its glistening glory only wasted on the remaining tiles that had somehow held together despite the immense heat. She circled again looking for the entrance she had once used to escape the rains that had plagued this area for many a year. The outcrop she was looking for was long since gone, as the platform that once stood was torn from the wall that once held it, the only sign of it having existed were the splintered boards that strutted out of the floor framework. She looked for the onning that once donned the outcrop, but all she could find was the supports that had melted off of the tower. That was the only entrance she could spot, since the rest were either too small, or too unstable from the broken supports.
Deciding that she should look for a better view she flew towards the shattered entrance. the opening that she once used to enter the tall structure was in ruins
The entrance had been completely destroyed. The door frame, although still together had been charred pitch black, the once red wood floors had been turned dark as coal with many of the boards missing from the once grand woodwork. The murals and tapestry that had once lined the walls was replaced with a horrid gray, and large clumps of metal that had pooled at the base of the walls. The grand entrance she had known had been devoured by the flames, and the birth of what looked to be a nightmare was what met her eyes. Left and right she looked, the ash piled as high as the roof at every turn and the floors seemed to creek under her. This floor would not last the winters to come, much less another rainstorm. All of this left her uneasy as she began to search around.
She was looking for the stairwell to the lower floors, since she could not find anything on the ninth floor, of which she currently resided. The next floor wasn't much better.
The once ornate architecture that had lined the walls with maps and arcanine sculptures had been transmogrified into a hell-scape covered in faces. The once vicious heads that lined the four corners of the room had become deformed, the eyes of the infamous beast had melted, creating streaming brass that leaked from the sockets that once held them. The walls and maps that lined them had become dark gray from the ash that had once resided against the walls. The light that shined through the cracked walls only seemed to shine on the deformed faces that once lined the tapestries of the ornate room, and due to the metallic nature of the structures that lined the walls, the light only seemed to reflect off of the multiple corners of the room. The eyes on the wall only seeming to become more noticeable the longer she resided on the floor. This only made her wish to get out of the floor sooner. So after a brief look around she found the stairwell and continued down the falling tower.
She continued this trend as the rooms below only seemed to become more and more distorted. The grand and welcoming decor that had lined the structure had been warped by the flames, or completely destroyed, leaving nothing but the shattered structure of the spire that had pierced the heavens. So with each floor she had to remain more and more weary. These floors would not stand for much longer, and she knew that if she took too long, then she would be crushed under the scorched framework that remained. So with her mindset and determination pumping through her veins, she continued her trek through her old home.
Floor after floor she looked and yet it almost seemed that the floors were endless as the once lively rooms were now replaced with pitch black shadows that seemed to consume any and all life within them. Floor after floor she searched, looking for any sign of the lost souls. This trend continued on for many floors. Nevertheless she continued.
For what felt like hours she had looked, but the souls only seemed to evade her as she traversed the shell of a grave. This only seemed to dishearten her as the more she traveled through the tower, the less she believed that she could find the lost boy and the three pokemon. This recurrence would soon change.
Just as she had decided to turn back and look elsewhere she spotted something strange. In the corner of what used to be the third floor was what looked to be a slight faded light that barely shined in the all encompassing darkness that devoured the room. The light had caught her off guard. How could she have missed such an obvious sign. She was caught in her own thoughts for a minute as she continued to stare at the dim light in front of her.
The light was flickering, seeming to only weaken the longer she stood there. Before long the light had dimmed to the point of revealing the faded figure that had emitted the light. She slowly began to approach the figure huddled in the corner before spotting something strange.
The figure was surrounded by three smaller figures that were huddled around it. Upon closer investigation, the figures seemed to have taken smaller forms, just short of two feet eight inches. They were resting on their stomachs around the figure. One was shaded blue, one was red, and the third was a bright yellow. The colors only seemed to confirm her theory as more details were revealed.
She had found them. She had found the lost souls.
She almost jumped for joy in celebration, but before she could she began to notice something quite worrisome. The larger figure seemed to be shaking in the chilling air that consumed the once lush room. Its once grand light only seemed to fade the more it shaked. The other three seemed to take notice of this as they soon began to pull themselves closer to the taller figure. It seemed to slump lower against the ground as the three figures began to crawl onto it.
The red one chose to take its lap, the yellow one took the left side, and the blue one took the right action caused the shaking to lessen, but not completely stop it. Before long the three began to try to fully encompass the fading light, wrapping themselves further around the light in what looked to be an attempt to comfort it. The shaking figure soon wrapped itself further around them, looking to take better care of them, rather than itself. This action caused the slumped over light to reveal what looked to be a set of hands and arms that wrapped around the other three. This seemed to confirm her suspicions.
This strange figure had to have been the small boy, and the other three must have been those three eons. They must have been pretty close if they had decided to stay by the boy even after death. It was touching in many ways, but from the steadily decreasing state of the young boy's light she didn't have much time to simply watch, so with bated breath, she began to approach the four.
She took the first step.
Creeeeaaaaaaaaaaak
She froze still, looking to see if they had noticed her. At first she assumed that they must not have since they hadn't jumped at her yet, so she slowly continued to move towards them. Once she was less than four feet away from what could only be called a mound of foxes, her hypothesis had been proven wrong as the trio were soon upon her.
The red spirit had turned towards her and began to emit a low groan that seemed to send low shivers down her spine as she stopped at the threat. The others soon followed suit.
The other two were much more direct in their approach, as the blue and yellow spirits had begun to flare up, their lights seeming to roar in a violent flame as they had jumped off of the young soul. Their once pitiful exteriors were replaced with rage as they stood ready to defend the young boy with everything that they had.
Had it not been for the fact that they could not touch her, she might have felt threatened, but nevertheless she had their attention. She had found the three and the young Naruto that the late Sarutobi had asked her to find. Now she needed to find a way to help them.
The trio that had surrounded her were about to pounce until with a simple motion, the legendary silenced them with a pulse of her power. She did not have much time to do what she planned. If she waited too long then she might not be able to keep that promise she made to the old man. She needed to subdue them before they hurt themselves or worse hurt the boy. So with a heavy heart, she began to prepare herself for what might transpire and began her approach towards the young boy, but the attack never happened. It seemed that the three had realized who she was as they began to follow closely behind her. Once she was right next to the boy she began to realize something troubling.
The boy's soul was beginning to fade away. Something must have been taking energy away from his very being. Something had to have been affecting the poor soul. The source of this was unknown but it was definitely taking effect. The soul had begun to shrink in on itself, the light that it once produced constantly been fading, but now there was no light being emitted. The figure of the young boy was almost unrecognizable at this point. No color shined through the figure. Something has been draining his energy for a while now, and considering the state the boy's soul was in he wouldn't be here for much longer.
She needed to act fast if she wanted to save him. And the only option was going to be tricky. The trio surrounding her wouldn't budge. They stood on guard for her to act. They didn't trust her and would likely attack her if she attempted to save the boy, So the only option was to try to convince them that she had good turned to the trio of Eons that had been sheltering their charge, and she made offer that none of them could have expected was offered.
She offered them a second chance at life. A second chance to live with the young boy that had died trying to protect them. A second chance for a better life, a chance to finally live instead of just surviving.
They were speechless to say the least. The deal almost seemed too good to be true, something had to be up with this deal. What was the catch, what was the big downside to such a thing. What could this legend possibly gain from such an action. Before they could ask however, Naruto's soul seemed to flicker again, and the air around them seemed to grow colder as his shivering only grew worse. They didn't really have much of a choice at this point. If they wanted to protect the boy, they would have to accept. So with a nod from each of them, they came to a decision. They would accept the deal if it meant that the boy would be safe.
Ho-oh quickly gave a positive, before she turned back to the shivering form behind them. She needed to hurry, so she stepped closer and asked the Flareon to move from his lap. Once she did the process then began with Ho-oh beginning to absorb the damaged soul of the boy in front of her, shocking the three who witnessed the action.
The process started with her aura shooting out of her body and encompassing the soul in front of her. His form seemed calm as the aura warmed him. Then his form began to break down. What once stood as a bipedal figure started to fold in on itself, its body seemingly turning into dust as it formed into a glowing ball of gold light. Before long, all that was left was the glowing orb that stood where the boy once was. Then Ho-oh wrapped her wings around the ball of light and pulled it into her chest, absorbing it into her being.
This action seemed to disturb the trio who watched as the boys had been consumed by the legendary. They were about ready to attack the legend before she turned to them with a calm look and spoke
"Do not fear, I am simply collecting his soul so that it can begin to repair itself." She spoke in almost sweet singing swoon. This seemed to have calmed them for the time being. Ho-oh after seeing their response began to walk towards them and spoke to them once more. "I need to do the same to you so that we can begin the process of creating each of you a new body."
The others seemed to pause at that statement. They looked at each other for a moment before the Vaporeon stepped forward. Volunteering to be the first of the three to be absorbed. The others watched with anticipation as their sister seemed to fade into a silvery mist before flying towards Ho-oh and being absorbed into her body.
The two left were wary, but they shortly approached Ho-oh. Jolteon was next, she walked right in front of Ho-oh and proceeded to sit in front of her with a slight shiver in her form. Soon that shiver left as she was brought into Ho-oh's being like the rest of them. All that was left was the Flareon who had laid where she once stood. Her very being seemed to experience a wave of exhaustion as before long her eyes began to close on her. Then a bright light, then nothing, but a warmth that surrounded her, then she finally fell asleep, for the first time in what felt an eternity.
The task was finished, all that was left was for Ho-oh to find a good place to rest for the time being. So with a sigh of relief she began her ascent from the base of her tower. She needed to get out of the area soon if she wanted to continue her plan by the end of the day. Step 2 of this plan was to find a place for them to stay for the rest of their term. She needed to find a place where she could find food and water easily without being at risk of attack, at least until her new charges could fend for themselves. She needed to try and head Southward since the area would be still due to the recent storm front that hit the area. Nothing was likely to look for them as they would be too busy looking after themselves and recovering from the damages to their homes to look for her. Besides that the debris might make a good nest. So with her mind set, she flew out of the top of the tower and flew towards the Southwest.
She had taken to the skies and pushed herself to get away from the human populations. She hoped to find a nesting location as soon as she could, and prayed that she could avoid any conflict that may come her way. She wished the souls a good rest as the coming years would be tough on the poor lost souls. Many challenges would await the trio and their new companion, and they would have to be taught many things before they would be ready to face the world. This would have to wait until later, as of now they were a part of the legendary that had shown them mercy.
The spirits were not dormant like the legendary thought they would be. Said legendary did not mention how long this process would take, so after trying to find each other in the strange space, they decided to rest for the first time in forever, huddled around the young boy that protected them, and they weren't planning on going anywhere anytime soon.
Vaporeon would stay by his side till the end of time for as long as she had him, she would endure it. Just for him, and her sisters agreed wholeheartedly, so with that last thought they wrapped themselves around the boy and slept. Cuddling their friend in the void they found themselves in as the sound of a heartbeat lulled them to sleep
In the world of the living Ho-oh had begun to leave the village , but as she was about to pass the border into the forests, she noticed a strange glint on the ground, so with a single beat of her wings she thrusted herself into the air towards the strange object. She arrived at it in an instant, landing with all the grace of an angel as she began to lean down to gain a closer look at what had peaked her interest.
What laid upon the ground, slightly covered in dirt, was what seemed to be a small piece of an old metal scabbard shining in the midday sun. Upon this scabbard piece was what looked to be a swirling pool of sorts, one that brought an almost nostalgic memory to the front of her mind.
A memory of a young hero who had defied fate for the safety of his family, A memory of love and hope, one of dreams lost and a hope for tomorrow. The story of a man that had saved her life from the wars that scattered across the lands. She seemed to freeze in this reminiscent state for what seemed a brief moment, before she reached down and began to pull the small glimmering metal out of the ground, but as she did, more seemed to follow the small piece that she had pulled. Before long she had pulled a full blade out of the soil.
The blade was a 3ft broadsword, with a warped cross guard hilt. The grand spiraling symbol is present on every aspect of the blade, from the hilt to a press stamped mark at the base of the sword, above the hilt. The blade, a dual sided dark gray with small warped spots spread across the blade, was clearly used in many battles. The dents and the state of the chipped guard were proof enough of that. There was no doubt in her mind that this was a blade of grave importance, but that only seemed to re-establish her previous questions.
What had this sword been doing here of all places? Why would his sword be left in such a state, after everything that he had done for not only her, but also for the village. What could have possibly been the reason for such a dishonorable act towards said hero. Why would such an important blade, what looked to be an heirloom at that, be left in the middle of the forest?
These thoughts plagued her as she looked around the area a second time. She could not find any clue as to why this sword was left here. There was no shrine, no memorial, no grave. This had to be a grave of some sort for this sword to be here, and yet, nothing. Nothing was around the sword, no headstones, no signs, no structure of any kind that would suggest this sword's location. And yet she had somehow come upon it. That seemed to trouble her the most. Out of all the details, why had she been the one to find it? She slowly began to dig around the location of the sword, hoping for some sort of hint, anything that could have hinted as to why it was here. As she dug through the dirt, she noticed a large black object that seemed to stretch a couple of feet. She had found something.
She continued to try and pull through the dirt, in an attempt to determine why this was her. Her talons seemed to graze through the dirt in search of the source of their placement. Before long she had found four rows of them. Each row came together to create a large square with a large gap in between one of the rows. This made no sense, why would these things be here, what purpose did they suit. She was puzzled for a moment, she knew there was some significance to it but she could not tell what. That was until she looked back at the black rows that boxed in the area. Before long she had noticed that one of the many pieces had been broken in half. So she decided to move the pieces apart to see what they were. A tar black grain was what met her. Then it struck her. The sword wasn't abandoned here. No, the sword layed here, not out of disrespect, but instead as the remains of a structure.
This had been a house of some sort. Things only seemed to pile on from there. The sword seemed to have more importance than she first thought, but for what that importance was, she was unsure. For now all she knew was that the structure had disappeared, and with it any chance of finding the young man who had saved her all those years ago. The idea seemed to haunt her as she was consumed by grief. The grief only grew the moment she pulled out the pendent that her follower had given her. The symbol on it matched the one on the blade. The two of them had to be related in some way. And yet, neither were of any use to her at this point. They were more or less memorabilia at this point. Something of significance that had the last of their meanings except for the emotional aspect. She was at a dead end, and her last lead was dead and gone. Her follower was dead and the faith that he once led had turned their back on him as well. She could do nothing but fester in her own self loathing as her thought soon turned more aggressive that is until a presence made itself known.
As her mind wandered, a figure stood under the trees' cover, hidden from her eyes. He had been watching her for a while, but his intentions were vague. His visage of shadows only seemed to fade as he grew closer to her,then he moved closer. He moved up to the mourning creature and began to attempt to sooth her. This seemed to catch her off guard, but just as she turned to look at this guest, he was gone, but that soothing feeling remained. Whoever it was had good intentions, but they refused to be seen. She looked around, hoping to find the source of the sensation, but she soon noticed that a large sum of time had passed. Then it hit her.
She had wasted all of this time with her, and yet she still needed to find someplace to stay. She didn't have time to dwell on such thoughts, not now. So with a heavy heart she grabbed the blade and flew towards the mountains on the horizon, far from any human settlements with one goal in mind. To create a nest for the young that she would bring into the world.
As she flew, the thought still remained in the back of her head. Who was that presence, and why were they there of all places? These problems only seemed to irk her more as she flew. Something didn't add up, but she was nowhere near a solution as to what. For now all she could do was fly south and hope for the best.
For what felt like hours she flew southward in search of some sort of safe haven, but time and time again she found only problems. She was unaware of the magnitude of human civilizations southward of her home. Countless towers and walls. Kingdoms scattered across the horizon and lakes and rivers consumed by boats and docks. For every lake and river she came upon, there was a human settlement. Then she came upon a mountain. The hours of flight had left her exhausted, but she didn't have a choice but to keep going. This spread of civilization seemed to avoid the pond that was near the mountain, and the mountain as a whole. No sign of civilization in sight, so with that, she decided to investigate. Maybe she had found something.
As she approached, the mountain seemed to grow into a glowing tower with a paved bath to what could only be considered a heavenly portal as the clouds bent around the point of the large stone spires. A glowing gold glaze reflecting from the white paved snow that circled the spire that seemed to pierce the glowing sky that lay above it. A sky that shined a gold sheen of awe and wonder. Under the golden fortress was a small basin laid at the base of the imposing white paved fortress that laid in the skyline.
She began to fly downward towards the small cove that had formed between the Base of the mountain and the small pond.
The alcove was covered in lush foliage covered in an assortment of different berries and flowers. Small plants seemed to paint the ground in pinks and blues as the sun shined upon them. The leaves of the nearby trees provided ample shade for any who wished for it, and the water was a clear crystal blue, another sky, that reflected the beauties of the small cove. The beach that connected to the small body was covered with pale white sand, silky soft sand that lined the beach and as thick as the stones that lined the surrounding area. Small little chunks of Granite and other hard stones were scattered across the clearing with a trail leading to the top of the mountain. A trail that Ho-oh was sure to follow, one which led to a small cave that seemed abandoned. Deciding that this might be a good place for the night, she began to go deeper to see if the cave was as abandoned as it looked.
She calmly flew through the entrance, keeping a sharp eye as the grand light that adorned the entrance began to fade. The shadows that once hid from said light began to arise, grabbing what little vision she had, leaving her in a pitch black darkness. An all consuming void that no light could escape from. Said void would not last as energy collected in front of the legendary. Then there was a spark, a flash before light pierced the void in front of her. A brilliant flame stood against the darkness. A flame not her own, shining through the dark, creating a clear sight. A flame that brought light to the dreary world she had entered. A flame that revealed a cascade of different colors and shapes that broke out of the ground, crystalized in bright hues of green, blue, and red.
Every color imaginable seemed to radiate from the flame and reflect off of the crystals that lined the walls, painting the walls in a flurry of colors. The bright lights shining from the protruding stone brought with it a soothing presence that filled the cavern. All of this seemed to radiate off of the flame, this only seemed to calm her the more she looked at it.
This soul that wouldn't leave her alone, the boy's soul that she had brought into herself had finally awoken; and he wasn't going anywhere, not until he knew they were safe. So with a clear vision and a very bright companion to talk to she began her trek through the vast cavern.
As she trekked through the long tunnels filled with the beautiful lights that radiated from the little flame in front of her that shined so brightly, she began to marvel at her small little companion. Even when it was so damaged it somehow managed to shine so brightly when many others would simply fade away into the void that surrounded them. What made this little flame so determined. She continued to ponder this as they continued to trek through the vast cave system laid out in front of them.
Before long she landed in a large opening. An opening that seemed to only brighten the more she explored it. It's walls lined in the crystals from before, A small stream passing through the dreary dark that once blinded her. This place seemed to have everything she was looking for. Food, water, and a clear deterrent that would make any creature that could wish them harm to leave.
She had found a place to nest, now it was time to build it. Looking around the large opening she spotted a nook in the side of the wall that looked to be fairly deep. So with that in mind she flew up to it and began to use her own fire to clear the moisture from the stone and air. Said flame was of an assortment of colors. An entire spectrum of color, singing in a deafened roar as the stone and water that once resided on the stone was replayed with a rose shade that only seemed to radiate more light as it began to soften.
While this was happening, the little light that had shined through the dark haze that had once blinded her was content to watch as the once dark cave became bright and lively from the colorful flames that only seemed to brighten the crystal structures that lined the walls. A glistening glare that brought with it a flat for which her nest would sit.
Before long the stream of light faded. The crystals that lined the cavern seemed to retain their light. The light created from the crystals seemed to project a soothing air to the area. The once dreary cave had been turned into a wonderland of lights and wonders. The once moist floors and walls were now dry and cleared. The blackened visage that had met her initially was gone, and in their place was what she had hoped for. The space was ready. She had finished part one of her task, now on to part two.
She turned to the young soul that had provided her company; Even if it was a silent company. The young soul was an enigma to her. Even under all the strain it was under, it continued to persist, where others would break. This impressed her in many aspects, but it also worried her. If the young soul did not rest, then who knows what kind of damage it may cause? She needed to do something, so with little hesitation she approached him and with a ginger tone she spoke.
"Young one, it is too early for you to be out."
The flame seemed to shimmer in disagreement, before flying away from her. It seemed to circle around the cavern bringing with it an air of playfulness that only grew as its Guardian began to give chase.
"Little one, I must advise against this." She spoke, her voice giving in to worry as she attempted to convince the young soul to stop, "You are not well." The young flame stopped for a brief moment before flipping and bouncing in place as a sort of taunt.
It stayed in place for a brief moment before it began to fly further across the room. She followed behind closely as she continued her attempts to convince the young soul to listen. Her pride was slightly injured from its actions. She was a couple of feet away from the young soul before she asked again.
"Little one, you are still injured, and surely you are tired?" She was almost begging at this point. The spirit froze in place for a brief moment before rushing towards her. Maybe she had gotten through to it. Feet turned to inches, and inches to millimeters in a brief period of time. The small flame was less than a inch from her before it bounced upward beside her head and over her shoulder.
This action disoriented her, causing her to fall flat on her rear, her eyes dazed in confusion. After a second of catching her berings, she noticed a faint sound. A sound that stemmed from behind her. She slowly turned around only to find the source of the sound. The young soul was creating this noise as it seemed to flicker in amusement. This bothered her to no end.
"That wasn't very nice you know." She spoke with a huff.
The spirit stood still for a moment in contemplation before it taunted her again and began to move away from her yet again. Her nerves were at an all time high.
She flew after it, trying with all her might to collect him, but every time that she drew close to him, he seemed to lunge out of the way, causing her to almost crash into the walls that lined the cave. Each time leading to the small flame flicker in what one could only assume to be laughter, as it continued their little game. The chase was on, and she would not be beaten by a child, her responsibility or not. So with a loud war cry she began to chase him more vigorously.
The game was ongoing, seeming to be a never ending fit of laughter from the flame as she pursued it, trying and failing time and time again to catch it. Said flame began to get more cocky, letting her get closer each and every time before giving her the slip right before she could grab it. That cocky attitude would soon be its downfall as soon after it had given her the slip it seemed to break out into a laughing fit, one that distracted him just long enough for her to get the jump on him.
"I gotcha!" Ho-oh yelled out in triumph as she wrapped her wings around the young soul that had managed to evade her for so long. The young soul seemed to flare up in shock for a moment before looking at her for a moment. It stopped still for a brief second then, much to her bewilderment, began to flicker in laughter. Said soul's laughter seemed to be followed by its flame seeming to flare up brighter and brighter as its laughter began to become stronger.
Said laughter was strictly to the young soul surrounded by her wings as before long she too began to laugh, seeming to hold the flame closer, holding it to her chest plumage as it leaned further onto her chest. Said chest only seemed to soothe the soul more as it began to calm down. Leaning closer and closer, slowly beginning to hear her heartbeat. Said heartbeat was a lullaby that seemed to work its magic almost immediately as soon after the young soul was unmoving, its soul stilled and warm as it fully leaned onto Ho-oh chest.
It took a minute for Ho-oh to realize what had happened. She had just stopped laughing when she looked down, only to see the young soul that had caused her so much grief, laying against her chest with a serene and calming aura around it. Resting on her chest as if it had always been with it. This only seemed to bewilder her more. This strange interaction only seemed to make her happier as she began to firmly wrap her wings around said soul before she began to absorb it into her once more. Seemingly more rapidly than she did the first time she had tried. It seemed that the soul wanted to finally get some rest. She stopped for a brief second before she spoke in the most soothing voice she could manage.
"Sweet dreams."
A phrase that seemed to make her heart flutter as she thought about the young soul that she had been tasked with taking care of. What once seemed like a heavy burden to be asked to carry seemed to be lightened by the little trouble maker that she had picked up. She seemed to be growing more attached to the young boy already, after such a small interaction. And yet, this small insignificant interaction seemed to only bring her more and more attached to the young boy that she now carried. How could such a simple, irritating action bring her so much joy. How could such a foolhardy action that is below one of her stature be able to entertain her so. No matter how much she tried to reason with herself, she could not stop a smile from rising upon her face. After much debate, she decided to focus on the nest for the time being to get her mind off of the strange interaction that had brought her joy. With her mind set she flew up to the oning one more time to drop off her things before she began to fly towards the entrance.
She soon flew out of the cave and began to look for materials that might help with building the nest. She started her search by looking for any twigs or leaves that she could find. Said twgs proved harder to come by that she initially thought they would. Each one she found always seemed to be half rotted to the point of breaking upon even the smallest of force upon it. This trend only seemed to follow with the rest of the trees around the area, as each only seemed to be worse for wear as she searched. Before long the sun began to set, and yet she had been unable to find the first twig for the nest she needed. The day was coming to a close and she was only running on less and less time as her futile search continued. Just as she was about to give in, a thought crossed her mind
If the trees at the base of the mountain were of such poor supply, why not simply search the trees higher up the mountain. Before she could continue this plan, the sky had turned dark. Her plan would have to wait until tomorrow, for now she needed to focus on getting back into the cave so as to avoid drawing any more attention to herself. Before she left she decided to grab the pile of small rotting twigs that she had collected and take them along with a few berries into the cave with her.
The night air was freezing and only seemed to get colder as the night progressed. The once warm and friendly terrain that had surrounded the cave had turned into a chillingly dark wall that only seemed to grow as she moved further and further into the cave. The lack of light from her small companion only seemed to become more and more noticeable as she made her way through the system of caverns and tunnels. Eventually she had to resort to using a flamethrower to light the dark tunnel that she traveled through. Even the flames only seemed to make the darkness that surrounded her more noticeable as she made her way into the opening, and up onto the small nook that she heated not to long ago.
When she arrived onto the stone floor, she found it to be ice cold. The fire that she had used earlier had only seemed to briefly heat it, unlike she hoped it would. So with little other options she began to heat the stone once more, the cascade of colors once again painting the walls in roaring lights as the fire sang louder. With a short gust of her wings, the flame seemed to explode outward, hitting every wall, lighting the room in its vast colors. She then proceeded to lay the small pile of twigs that she had collected onto the floor. She stopped briefly after setting the pile onto the ground, and looked around one last time before she used flamethrower to light the pile of sticks.
The pile immediately ignited into a small fire, and the attack immediately stopped. She then proceeded to pull herself into her own wings and climbed into the small fire before she finally rested.
Upon falling asleep she awoke within a void. She could see the ground around her, but could not see anything around her. So with little left to hold her still she began to explore. For what like miles she flew in search of anything of interest. Nothing seemed to meet her, that is until she spotted something interesting. As she had searched she eventually came to find the large pile of eeveelutions surrounding the young boy. Each of the small creatures had wrapped themselves around the boy's body. The jolteon had taken residency over the young boy's left side with her head resting right at his shoulder. The vaporeon had seemingly wrapped her tail around the young boy's hip with her head resting on his chest, and the flareon had taken to his right side. Her head resting on his right shoulder.
The entire scene seemed to fill the legendary with an unexplainable comfort. To see those that had suffered so much in such a peaceful state relieved much of the stress that had plagued her mind. WIth the biggest threat out of the way,she decided to allow her mind to rest, but just as she began to fully fall into a deep sleep she began to notice something.
The young boy seemed to flench and shake. She was unsure as to the cause and for a brief moment she questioned if she had seen anything at all. That was until the boy began to shake and whimper. His body seemed to quiver as he struggled to rest. She was unsure as to the cause, but the boy wasn't the only one being affected by the cause. The pile of pokemon that seemed to encompass the boy began to shiver and shake alongside him. Their small forms began to pull closer to each other in an attempt to combat the cold that seemed to cause it. This did not work. The shudder only seemed to worsen the longer she watched. Before long all the boy seemed to do was shiver from what one could assume to be the cold. She couldn't stand to watch this any longer. The very sight of the young struggling in front of her only seemed to toreture her the longer she stood there, so after a brief contemplation, she jumped to action
She proceeded to get up from the place she had rested and moved closer to the pile. Inch by inch she moved, only stopping once she had reached the fox pile. As she looked closer she noticed that the other three had begun to progress in a similar manner to the young boy. Their condition is degrading much slower than the boy but still degrading nevertheless . She had to do something before this cold caused any harm to them. She briefly questioned starting a fire before she stopped herself. The void wouldn't be affected by said fire, unlike in the world of the living.
With very little options left she decided to do the only thing she could, so as gently as she could, she lifted the small group and wrapped her wings around the four souls. Each only seeming to pull themselves closer to the warmth as she fully wrapped them in her wings. The young boy seemed to pull himself closer. His head soon rested on her shoulder as he snuggled closer to her. His arms seemed to wrap around her as his breathing began to calm.
The other three soon followed suit as they climbed the young boys form until they were laying across her shoulders as well. Their heads resting next to the young boy's. Their frail forms seemed at peace, and the once dark void seemed to lighten.
Before long she began to feel a little tired self. Her eyes began to close on her as she held the four children to her chest. Each giving of their own little sigh of content as they nuzzled close to the warmth that covered one last glance at the four within her wings, she fell into a deep slumber. One that would prove to be the best she had ever had.
